[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 13682]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     THE DELICATE BALANCE OF POWERS

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, today is the 226th anniversary of the 
signing of one of the most important documents in world history.
  A lot of us talk about the Constitution, and talk about it often; but 
sometimes we forget the ground-breaking influence of that document and 
the fact that that very document was written by the States to create 
the Federal Government and not the other way around.
  It has provided the basis for our representative Republic; it has 
provided the foundation for our government; and it has had a lasting 
influence across the world. In various corners of the globe, our 
Constitution has served as a model for other countries as they strove 
to build their governments and to make liberty and freedom for their 
citizens one of their first priorities.
  Today's anniversary marks the spot where history diverged from the 
history of colonial rule and forged a path based on the rule of law and 
the rights of individuals. I hope that everyone takes a moment to 
reflect on the enormous insights of our Founders in creating this 
document.

                          ____________________